running away while a ward of the state

[ccsmod5]

re: 17 years

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it is very brave of you to reach out to us and seek help. We are glad to hear that you are wanting excited for this next step in your life and are going back to school.

So, here at NRS, we are not legal experts and we don’t know much about how this process would go. Typically, you would no longer be in the system once you’re 18. But like we mentioned, we are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure this would happen. A hotline that you would be able to contact and they would possibly be able to help you better would be Child Help USA, their number is 1-800-422-4453.

If you are interested, you can call us and we will be able to help you find a legal aid in your area and perhaps they can answer your specific questions. We are here 24/7 and will be more than happy to assist you through this difficult time.

Stay Strong,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Runaway once you turn 18

My friends son will be 18 on the 27th of this month. He has been a ward of the state in a state he doesn't even reside in IL ( KS MO is where he was living) since he was 16 under false allegations of medical child abuse said to be done by his mother. She was never charged or anything. She disagreed with the Dr. when they were unable to treat and help her son following surgery where he developed complications due to the surgery and wanted him transferred to another hospital that had specialists and could help him.
Aug 20th is their court date and they have been informed DCFS will try to hold him even though he will be an adult. He is fully competent and able to care for himself. No mental illness or anything. If the judge agrees with DCFS to keep him against his wishes and remain a ward of the state in a state he doesn't even live in, what would be the consequences if he ran away? He is currently living with his grandparents in MO but IL DCFS is still taking his freedom and dictating what he can and can not do in every aspect of his life including medical and are trying to do so even though he will be an adult.

[ccsmod14]

Re: Runaway once you turn 18

Hi there,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are really trying to support your friend and her son and we’re glad that you contacted us, we are here to support you in any way that we can.

So its sounds like you are concerned with what may happen with your friend’s son regarding whether or not the judge will decide if he needs to remain a ward of the state. It sounds like you have a lot of valid concerns. We’re not legal not legal experts, so we cannot say what will or will not happen if the judge makes this decision. For legal advice/information, we would like to provide you some legal resources for the state of Illinois as well as Missouri:

The Family Defense Center in Chicago, IL (312) 251 9800
Equip for Equality, Inc. in Chicago, IL (312) 341 0022

Legal Aid of Western Missouri (816) 474 6750
Missouri Protection & Advocacy Services Kansas City Office (816) 235 6140

We really hope that these resources are helpful to you. We’re here to help you as much as we can. Please do call or chat with us if you would like to talk further.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Inquiry

What does it mean when a form at a hospital states: "Child of the ward?" I was asked to sign this and when I refused to, I was then given a 302 and held at a mental hospital against my will. Soon after being released the confusion began in mutipule ways examples: School concerns regarding absences for my child, landlord issues, orphans court -for a bus accident my child was injured in. My x acting VERY ambiguously and secretively/ discreet. (Claiming he said things about me to someone.) But refused to go into detail when asks with whom, why, what, where and when. And I can't help but feel that he knows something that I don't whether it involves myself or my (our) 21yr old. And this concerns me gratley being his parent as you can imagine not only for my child's safety but for his well being as well. And I am so confused as to what exactly has occurred during the duration of my hospital stay etc. there was a lot I was dealing with at the time and I believe he (my x or the state whomever) used this to their advantage. I've contacted DHS on numerous occasions, being quite persistent inquiring about my/my adult mentally challenged child's file/reports etc. (if any) requesting all information by calling the agency, writing and walk in. Needless, to say I've gotten no response back from DHS whatsoever. (I know they must have a file or some kind of records, I worked with them voluntarily- I contacted them. As it turns out, that can then be used against you later apparently, regardless of the fact there wasn't any derogatory reports filed against you while working with them voluntarily. Having contact with them in general works against you, when it was my core belief that they are a family support based program. So, in closing who do you contact when knowones willing to give you (your own personal information) when you've made every attempt in doing so and haven't succeeded? It's been years now and this is unacceptable. My future depends on it and the attorneys I thought acted in my best interest were only interested in a profit so it seems and obviously did not have OUR best interests at heart. Any recommendations or advise/suggestions?

[ccsmod2]

re: Inquiry

Hello,

From what you shared, you are going through a lot legally with concerns of your 21 year old child who is mentally ill. It sounds like you have done a nice amount of research so far, with checking into DHS as a resource and also some legal assistance as well. You seem to be pretty concerned about what your ex may be saying to other people, and how that's affecting the situation. With all of that going on, it's understandable that you may be feeling stressed and anxious. At this point, we would usually suggest seeking out legal assistance. There's a few different things in play that may or may not be affected by what's happening. And you want to clarify what "child of the ward" means. We here at NRS are not legal experts, so the best option may be to seek out other legal services that can help you clarify that information. It may take some further looking into to find assistance.

Best of luck to you,
NRS

[Unregistered]

My daughter was removed from my home per my request at age 15. She was in foster care and a ward of the state. She is home on a trial visit and ran away. Does the state worker file a report or me? Im in Kentucky

[ccsmod7]

Re: running away while a ward of the state

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out with your question. It sounds like a stressful situation. We’re not legal experts here, but typically the process would be to notify the state worker that she had left home as it sounds like they are acting as her legal guardians currently. They would likely be responsible for filing her as a runaway with the police.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Runaway

I'm 17 & I'm a ward of the state but I've been on the run for 6 months , when will they drop my case ? Are they even looking for me ? Can I start school?

[ccsmod1]

RE: Runaway

Hi, thanks for reaching out. We aren't lawyers here, but we can tell you the chances are they are not looking for you and unless you're accused of a crime, the likelihood is they will drop your case when you turn 18. As for starting school - if you are talking about going back to high school you face a challenge trying to enroll without a guardian. However, there is a law saying an "unaccompanied minor" must be allowed to attend school. It is called the McKinley-Vento Act and any schoool system should be familiar with that. It is possible a high school would try to find out more about your situation and make some kind of report, so that's is something to be aware of. If you're planning to enroll in some kind of educational program that is for post-high school students, it's doubtful you would face that kind of an issue. We'd be glad to talk with you further if you want to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. Best wishes!

[Unregistered]

Re: running away while a ward of the state

I know someone that is 14yes old ward of the state and a runaway.
I would like to help them get back to a normal life I don't know what steps to take to help them and even take them into my home for stability
and fed back would be great we live in Kentucky if you know the laws here

[ccsmod14]

Re: Re: running away while a ward of the state

Hi there,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are looking for some assistance for a 14 year old who is a runaway and a ward of the state. It is admirable that you are reaching out on their behalf.

It sounds like you have this youth’s best interest at heart which is great to hear. We’re not here to tell anyone what they should or should not do, we’re just here to help keep them safe in what they decide. We have a large database of different resources, so if this youth calls or chats with us we can look for some food pantries, shelters, or other resources in Kentucky. Another service we offer here is conference calling with youth, so we could make calls out with them if they decides to give us a call for some assistance.

We’re here 24/7 to help in any way that we can. Please do not hesitate to call us at 1800runaway, or pass along our information to the 14 year old youth.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi there I'm 17 turn 18 in 10 months I'm in a group home in states custody and I honestly hate it and I've been getting ready to run away for the past month making sure I am going to succeed having a fullproof plan and all I just want to make sure major consequences won't follow .

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hi there I'm 17 turn 18 in 10 months

Hi,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you are considering running away from your group home but you’re concerned about possible consequences. It’s good that you are reaching out today.
NRS is here to listen and here to help.
You are welcome to contact 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) and speak about your situation and to maybe explore some options.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello. I ran away in July when I was still 17. It's been about 4 months since I been gone and I turned 18 in September. I live in the state of Alabama and need to get my ID and drivers license. Will I be put back in dhr and foster care or have I aged out? I am a ward of the state or I was.

[ccsmod0]

Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have some questions regarding you ageing out of foster care. We are not representative of DHR so we do not know how running away or aging out would work in Alabama. One thing that you can do is get in contact with someone at the Alabama Child Protective Services at (334) 242-9500. It is very responsible of you to consider getting your ID and drivers license.
We are glad that you felt comfortable coming to us with all of this. If you want to talk more or utilize any of our services please give us a phone call anytime. 1-800-786-2929
Best wishes,
NRS

[Guest]

Hey! So my sister is 20 years old and a ward of the state in Missouri. Shes currently living in a facility for people with mental illness, for almost 2 years now, but hasn't gotten any mental health help. She's just living there while her state appointed guardian decides whether she can leave or not. Her guardian rarely ever makes time for her, yet wont approve of her leaving the facility to stay with family. She's missed holidays, and many important things and is just tired of not having any progress in her case. Shes contemplating running away to another state to be with family and im wondering what would happen if she chose to do so?